Outline ReviewOn December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus. This simple act of defiance spurred African American residents' 381-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system and arguably fueled the civil rights movement itself.

For the last 40 years, Rosa Parks has received thousands and thousands of letters, most of them from children. This elegantly designed book contains a diverse selection of these letters on topics ranging from hope to O.J. Simpson, and Parks's replies are simple, sometimes poignant, but always reassuring.

The first letter from a child in Oakland, California, begins, "I am sorry that you went to jail because you did not give in to the system. Mrs. Parks, please try and stop the violence and the killing, because where I live lots of people get taken out (killed). "With her thoughtful answers to this ("Life should not be taken for granted") and other letters, Rosa Parks continues her legacy of challenging us to become a force for positive change. Children will be inspired and soothed by the words of this remarkable woman. (Ages 8 and older)

Product DescriptionRosa Parks, the woman who changed the course of history when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on an Alabama bus, responds to the real letters of young correspondents, challenging them to become a force for positive social change.

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More About Rosa Parks & Gregory J. Reed

Rosa Parks also worked with Jim Haskins to write Rosa Parks: My Story (Dial and Puffin), an award-winning book for older readers. Mrs. Parks was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in June 1999. She lives in Detroit, Michigan.

Rosa Parks lived in Detroit, in the state of Michigan. Rosa Parks was born in 1913 and died in 2005.

The Book, "Dear Mrs. Parks A Dialogue With Today's Youth"Thank you for sending the books, so quickly. I'm going to order some more books today. Excellent service thanks once again. The book is verygood, because Mrs.Parks answers childrens questions from all over the world. The book answered only a few of the thousand of questions that shereceived on a daily basis. I wish that she had been able to write more books for the children. Mrs. Parks was working with children at the NAACP when she was arrested. She had so much to tell the children. This book Dear Mrs. Parks give you an insight into her life. During the days of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement.

Ella M. Haygan

Rosa Parks answers questions from today's young people Oct 9, 2004

In 1999 Rosa Parks was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor for being the "Mother of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement." I still remember being stunned by the news because I could not believe that it had taken forty-four years to honor the woman whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, on December 5, 1955, triggered a black boycott of the city's bus system. The boycott lasted 381 days and eventually led to laws that ended legalized segregation. You have to go back to the Boston Tea Party to find an act of defiance that is as important in American history and if there is any one citizen who deserves the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor it would have to be Rosa Parks.

After receiving her medal Parks said it was "encouragement for all of us to continue until all have rights." "Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue with Today's Youth" is a collection of letters between Rosa Parks and children over the last forty years. A Preface on "Rosa Parks: Model of Courage, Symbol of Freedom" covers the highlights of her life story. The opening section presents "The Most Commonly Asked Questions From Letters to Mrs. Parks" such as "How old are you?" and "Do you have any children?" (Parks was 83 in 1996 when the book was published and while she never had any children she does "consider all children as mine.

The letters and Mrs. Parks' responses are divided into five categories: I. Courage and Hope ("Dear Mrs. Parks, What gave you the courage to say no and not move to the back of the bus and then get arrested?"), II. The Power of Knowledge and Education ("Dear Mrs. Parks, I heard you were having your 83rd birthday celebration. I told my dad you must know everything now. My dad disagrees with me, but I don't believe him."), III. Living With God ("Dear Mrs. Parks, Why does God let people do mean things, like when the police put you in jail? It seems like you kept going back to jail."), IV. Pathways to Freedom ("Dear Mrs. Parks, Sometimes people call me names because of my freckles. How do you feel good about yourself when other people try to make you feel bad?"), and V. Making a Difference ("Dear Mrs. Parks, It seems that my grandparents are always right, and they always want to help someone. Why do older people seem to be smarter than young people"). The questions are a nice mix of specific inquiries as to what Parks endured during the Civil Rights Movement and general concerns about the universal issues that have perplexed all children pretty much since the start of time. She also responds to questions about not only the Montgomery Bus Boycott but the Internet, the O.J. Simpson trial, and the Million Man March.

On the back cover of this book President Jimmy Carter writes "These letters provide heartening evidence that today's young people continue to be inspired, educated, and influenced by Rosa Parks' remarkable example." Parks answers these questions with simple wisdom, and sometimes simple humor as well, much as you would expect to hear from a grandmother. Her inspiration comes from her repeated insistence that young people embrace their role as agents for positive change in the society in which they live. Of course, there is no better person in the United States to make the point that in this country anybody really can make a difference than Rosa Parks. For students and teachers studying the Civil Rights Movement this certainly makes clear the relevance of the past for young people today.

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